1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of constructing a rail track in which a concrete track slab is formed and rail track anchor members are inserted into the slab by an inserter system which can move along the route of the rail track.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The document EP 0 803 609 describes a method and a device for inserting tie plates in concrete to produce a rail track quickly and cheaply. The inserter system includes a mobile platform straddling the freshly poured concrete slab so that the inserter system can be moved along the route of the rail track. Patent application FR 00 10120 describes accurately positioning this kind of tie plate inserter system by means of a measuring station referenced to topographic survey points at the edge of the route of the rail track, the measuring station including an optical measuring system cooperating with reflectors carried by the tie plate inserter machine to determine the location of the inserter system accurately.
However, this kind of track construction method has the drawback that its rate of advance is limited by the time needed to move the tie plate inserter system and to position it accurately.
Another drawback of this kind of construction method is that it requires the use of a relatively bulky tie plate inserter system, including a mobile platform which straddles the freshly poured concrete slab and whose width necessarily exceeds the width of the concrete slab to be constructed. The inserter system is also usually coupled to a machine for continuously pouring concrete which is placed in front of the tie plate inserter system and shapes the concrete slab by means of sliding shuttering. Using this kind of machine for continuously pouring concrete has the drawback of requiring concrete with a particular formula, whose texture is such that it cannot be pumped, which makes it necessary to transport a significant quantity of concrete by some other means, such as containers equipped with an agitator, before pouring the concrete by gravity.
It follows that this kind of construction method may prove impossible to use if space is limited on either side of the rail track, in particular when constructing rail tracks in tunnels or on bridges.
Thus, the object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks by proposing a method of constructing a rail track on a concrete slab using reduced quantities of continuously molded concrete, the remainder of the total volume of concrete required to construct the track slab consisting of concrete which can be pumped. Another object of the invention is to propose a construction method enabling the use of a machine for continuously pouring concrete and a compact system for inserting anchor members which is simple and economic to use.